I loved Winterland. Lucky for me it was almost in my back yard. This show was particularly fun.
From Bill Graham's intro, "What ever is going on with the rest of the world whether it be wars, or kidnapping or crimes this is a peaceful Sunday night with the Grateful Dead", until the last note was sweetness.
I went to all five shows.
They called it the last one.
Yeah right. As Jerry would say, "You got the Do Re, I got the me!

The Baby Blue encore rally does something for me. Its so tender, sweet, and young. Miss you Jer.

http://www.deaddisc.com/disc/Daves_Picks_13.htm

Recommend going to the 'Date of the show' which is available in the GD collection section and check out your options on DEAD LIST. I sometimes just scroll thru a whole year of setlists-- just to get a feel for the years shows. I find it easier to navigate thru the different versions of a show in the Dead List Project plus they give you a just the main facts basic overview. (I am not big on 'audience' so I usually work my way thru the SOUNDBOARDS on a given night.)
With all the reviews for this show here , it might take much of this show just to check them all out.
Don't want to ignore this show with my infomercial on DEAD LISTS. I would say that Night Two has the best Psychedelia but all 3 of these shows are very sweet.
Never pass by a Dark Star>Morning Dew
(I also like that this is pre-Seastones which to me is the only part of 74-Dead that I do take a pass on.)
Oh yeah if you want to compare different years to each other the THIS DAY IN HISTORY (TDIH) is pretty helpful.
On how to get thru an entire show from 94 & 95?
Not a clue!

I love this dark star. They sound so fluid and the candyman is also good. Great recording. During darkstar Jerrys' playing is very dynamic when he starts hitting the scales (3:14-10:02).

What is all the crap about. It was always about the moment. As Garcia said. 'When I am done they can have it' Very giving. Where are the Allman Brothers with recordings. Nowhere

So as far as critics go enjoy or shut up.

Official Deadhead

This is such a lovely wrs. I wish it was longer, much longer...

calling any version of something and for this post I'll stick to DEAD songs 'the best ever.' ITs basically a 'fool's errand.'

as an example, 'Morning Dew.' When I critique' a version I look at a number of things. Garcia's vocal phrasing/singing on the different verses. He might nail 'heard a baby cry' (this version is nice but the version from the show opening version at Boston Music Hall in Nov 73 is up there as a GREAT, emotional reading etc. Then there is the 'young man.' verse again this is a nice version, 'best ever??" probably not.Then you have the 1st 'guitar break, ' this version Garcia does well where Phil is somewhat reserved compared to other versions.Then there's the 2nd final guitar break, this one Garcia does well but there are better versions Phil's contribution, bass playing on this is also in my opinion NOT his best. Again check out the 1st Dew from Boston in Nov phil stands out as well as Garcia on the 2nd , final guitar break. Im not saying that that Boston version is the 'best ever' either. But it does have certain attributes that put it 'up there.'To elaborate further regarding that Boston version from 11/73 Garcia's phrasing/singing etc on the 'Young man' verse is good but not up there with best ever versions as the earlier 'baby cry' verse is in my opinion up there in the 'best ever' territory perhaps NOT 'best ever' but it is 'up there.'

These are not the only aspects I 'evaluate' when I try and critique a Morning Dew either. I havent even mentioned Weir's contributions, Bil's etc or the recording quality.

If the recording quality is bad it makes it hard to evaluate Garcia's tone,play, ditto for Phil and the rest of the band. etc, etc

Bottom line: my point is that rarely if ever do you have a version of a song where they nail EVERY aspect of the song where it is the 'BEST EVER.' Some parts/aspects are great, best ever material but other aspects are not.

I would describe this show as I would Jerry`s playing style: fluid. I have noticed that some individuals have remarked that the pace is too restrained here.
At the time this was recorded, in the early 70`s, there were many musical technicians at work who were all too eager to display there speedy runs and aggressive playing. This is not to knock bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath Santana and so forth. It is only to say that this is why Jerry has been irreplaceable, because his playing was fluid and generally more restrained. All the credit to him and the rest of the GD for not getting caught up in the whole Rocking Blues Band Trip. They were that, but of course so much more. Really, the more that I listen to shows from 70 to 77, the more that I realize it is a feeble attempt to get carried away with comparisons as each one of these years are golden! If you don`t understand why this show is great now, and in fact you dig the GD. then chances are you`ll come back to it later and have a light bulb moment. Otherwise, there is not much more to add to the other substantially good reviews given to this show.

Fucking awesome show all around. Everything was good. Highlights include Loser, Playin', Let it Grow, Dark Star > Morning Dew, Sugar Magnolia > NFA > GDTRFB > NFA.

Let it Grow is definitely growing on me as a song.

Loved this show, next up for me to listen to is 10/19/74!

i always love folks who pretend to sound like they know what they are saying, sort of like folks who pretend they can play their instruments, but to the bitter end were still accused of not quite knowing how, especially the reluctant leader, no conductor he.

but the things that are given critique, "era-typically" (why not create a word that will stand up to time, like conversate, as in, to musically conversate) are what makes this great.
and you have to start by mentioning the fact of analog tape, an era thing, of mostly past, for which we are all poorer, and without, frankly, the music ain't quite, but then
this 'un actually is quite, and

i especially love the parts where the poor drug-crazed band couldn't figure out what song the were playing, like the no you or is that china hat?

i don't know, maybe it was the \

qualudes?

I'm always a little suspect of deadheads who think 73 & 74 was to "laid back" or "unfocused & lazy". For myself this was the high point for the Band. 72's crisp experimentation was a perfect Segway into 73's voyage into improvisational space jazz turned into a rounding off to smoother spaces of 74. As the seventies went on they still had their moments but never would they be what they were, in 73 & 74 they could do no wrong. By the eighties my days of attending live shows was over. To my ears 73 & 74 are all 5 star shows.....

I read these comments from mavens like yourself and often wonder what planet they are coming from - First of all it's not The Winterland it was Winterland. Number two - listen to the show if you are going to comment - You sound ridiculous.

Yeah, they played 3 sets. Yeah, they had the wall of sound. Yeah, it was the Winterland. But when you get past all that hype, it's just a band with a really loud sound system, too stoned to decide what they want to play. I've heard some '74 shows that I think rank among the best, but this sounds weak, empty & indecisive. The quality of this soundboard is also era-typically harsh, albeit very clear. Each to his own though.

Hard to say when one show is better than another in the '72-'74 era, but this one stands out. One of my favorites from '74 (also 5/25 Santa Barbara and 6/23 Miami).
Highlights: Candyman, China>Rider, Loser, Playin'.
Cumberland, Bertha, Let It Grow, Dark Star.
Rest really good.

0*8^)~

Others have referenced my concern as well about what started to happen to the Dead's approach during this period. Were things getting too laid back that they started getting "lazy" in their playing? I think this becomes most evident in the typical "first set" songs. Even going back into '73, compare typical first set tunes (Bertha, Jack Straw, Ramble On Rose, Mexicali, Tenn. Jed, etc...) to how all this stuff got played on the Europe 72 tour. Every tune on those nights was played with snap, with inspiration, crisp and tight as if their lives depended on it. As we move through 73 and into 74, all lot of these tunes just start to sound sluggish.

This period still has its moments of course: the improvisational jams throughout Playing in the Band, or He's Gone>Truckin'>Other One, Eyes of the World, WRS, the exploratory Dark Stars. These still capture the Dead at what they do best -- they are like Impressionist paintings. So, it's 4 stars for "very good."

This show is not without some flaws. I love the GD, and there's no doubt in my mind that even a flawed Dead show is better than almost anything else I can think of. And this show does not have any major flaws. In fact, this show is well-played, technically sound, and really a very good 1974 show (much better than the official Steal Your Face).

However, I'm not a huge fan on 1974 shows in general. 1973 was a giant year for the Dead. They experimented and grew in many different ways. Their energy was phenomenal. 1974, on the other hand, found the boys polishing rough edges more than blazing new trails. It is more subdued and less unpredictable, and therein lies my troubles with 1974. Predictability is not one of my favorite attributes of the GD.

If you are into really polished, well played shows, you can probably reverse my thinking 180 degrees... but if like me, you enjoy spontaneity and chaos, you are better off with a great 1973 show.

With all that said, the China/Rider here is a keeper... very tasty. And the Playin' and WRS are really good too.

Technically, this recording takes about 3 or 4 songs before the mix settles in (Mexicali sounds almost like Billy and a monitor feed of Bobby's voice), but after that it gets quite good. By the 2nd set it is stellar. The transfer is perfect.

Overall, well worth adding to your collection!

I am impressed. the sound quality is as good as you will find. the playing is excellent. This is one of my favorite 74 shows.

This show is monumentally...average. Yeah, the Dew is pretty good, and the Dark Star has a cool exit jam, and there's a good Cumberland blues in there somewhere, but...most songs are played just "okay". china>rider just average, and nfa>gdtrfb is weak. Neither of these should suck at any Dead show, they are great songs! Anyway, in conclusion: Meh. The previous night is way better.

The setlist above includes some Soundcheck? songs which do not appear in the files it seems. Are these available? US Blues #1 and #2, It Must Have Been Roses, Jam, etc...

Well let me tell you, I am old enough to have been there, over and over again. Most of the concerts I saw in the 70's were in Boston, NY and Philly. It's hard for me to fairly compare those of the later years because my head was in a different place by that time (even though I saw as many in the 80's as I did in the 70's). So when I say this, maybe it isn't unbiased. There was nothing like the 1973 & 74 years, along with that very special 1977 Spring time period. Enjoy these incredible archives. It's as close as you'll ever get to being there.

i have no idea by what people mean when they say jerry was asleep at this show. the dark star-> dew is worth the price of admission alone.

had i been old enough to see '74 shows at the winterland, i doubt my feet would yet be touching the ground.

this was the wake of the 1960s flood, indeed: "Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor, Why hold out for more?"

mind bogglingly good. it begs to be in your collection.

Update 11/18/09:

listening to this show rite now. it really is just one highlight after another. loser just SPARKLES. and OMG...that row jimmy coming out of LIG is just amazing! really slowed down and almost reggae like, and how 'bout jerry's slide! un-frikin'-believable. this is top shelf stuff. easily one of the best all-time. this, 6/18 and 5/19 are all essential '74.

**************************************************
a classic early '74 show that sounds more like late '73, well played, and the newer songs (U.S. Blues and Ship) sound great. an absolutely SUBLIME candyman, amazing china>rider, and very unique weather report. promised land is the most rockin' verison i've ever heard! and how 'bout that cumberland...one HOT tamale! playin' is good but not even close to the best of '74 (that goes to 8/6/74 easily) but i should give another listen. the dark star is a great mellow version and i love the spanish tease. it all ends with a rollicking NFA that is one of my recent faves.

find this along with 2/23 - both must haves!

This has to be prime time for the era. Sunday nite of the 3 day set and they finally relaxed. My first GD concert thanks to buddy Tom. Great space in this one and wonderful teases.

This is so much more appreciated, after going thru the timeline of really great stuff over the years.

LLTD

(Hope Tom is still tuning in.)

Grate 74 show. Very nice sbd. For those of you who have the know how to download this disc two and three fit easily on an eighty minute disc. Better yet do what I did. Buy yourself a modern stereo that plays mp3 discs. My aud collection consists of two hundred sixty nine shows. they fit on one hundred four mp3 discs. If they were on regular discs it would take probably eight or nine hundred discs.

No weak spots, and all the jazzy-honey goodness of late-'73. Their live sound would start to change slightly after these Winterland shows; more rocking, with a somewhat heavier distortion in Jerry's guitar. I'm sure this has something to do with the Wall of Sound being unveiled at the very next show on 3/23. Not a bad thing, at all, just the next step in the Dead's evolution. Most of the songs from Nov. '73 thru Feb. '74, however, sound like Jerry is plugged straight into the amp, with hardly any distortion pedals being used at all, except during the interstellar freak-out jams.

So basically this show is the last of "The Honey Year," imo. Just an all-around killer show. One of the last truly otherworldly Dark Stars, though not quite on the level of 11/11/73, but you can hardly fault it for that. Also, one of the best China Cat>Riders of the year, up there with 6/26, imo.

This whole run is great, and I would go so far as to say the previous night equals this, if not surpasses. And 2/22 is definitely no slouch either. Get the whole run if you love the laid-back, jazzy, epic Dead.

The boys were young and so was the audience. We had the bursting energy of youth and felt the pulse of the universe in our veins. Jerry was thin, his hair was dark, (for that matter, so was I and so was mine). Bobby had a long straight pony tail and looked like he should be dating the girls Pig was singing about. And somehow, when the band got outrageous as they got, it was Pig out in front with his vocals. Take your hands out of your pockets! It was a lifetime away from Black Muddy River.

I've got to say that unless you were actually at this show, then hold your tongue. There's just no way you can comment on this show just from the tapes, the energy being there is different and unique. Wise up, kid...and try to enjoy something you've apparently never experienced live, that being the early '70's shows. Graditude is a core principle for happiness, so be GRATEFUL for what we have.

The deusenberg is firing on all 16 cylinders at the last concert played with the "flat" wall of sound -the month after, they set up their "tall" wall at cow palace.
I love Jackstraw and China/rider - these are among my faves. Man, can anyone out there build a time machine so I can go back and spend about 3 years following the dead -starting around Oct '71??

i know it's all a matter of opinion, but i don't know how you can consider this show weak. it's a solid early 70's setlist and the boys are on all night. a sweet candyman & jack straw, an incredible china/rider, a good dark star with a spanish jam tease that flows into MD. the good vibes from the night before came through the music again in this show

as other reviewers have noted -- this show rocks!! man is 74 a good vintage. This show has hit me today exactly as it hit Geoffsky down below. I turned on at Candyman, a sweet long version, then Jack Straw the barometer for every show, then one of the best (all subjective of course) China/Rider's I have heard. It peaks hard at the end of Rider!! god I love the grateful dead.

of course 5 stars -- this band is seldom off.

all hale the archives!

(~);

Hey lcj72835 you are quite funny. You give 3-14-81 5 stars and rip this fantastic show. Give me a break. 2-24-74 is a monster. Compare setlists and compare the chops. There is no comparison. This is a top 10 show from 74 and blows any 81 show out of the water. Get respectable

This is one of the weakest performances I have listened to from 1974. Jerry seems comatosed on most of the songs. I have not yet listened to anything past weather Reportbut unless things changed this show is one to forget with the exception of the jam between China Rider. love Miami and Louisville from summer.

this is pure dead lsd 25 perfect can i download and burn it or is it a dick pik

Throughout the show, Jerry improvises before songs begin their singing sections. It is clearly a time at which the boundaries of the grateful dead music are being challenged. A perfect irony at the point of origin for the dead, and then, the source of rejuvenation and resurgence of creativity. You can tell that Jerry is forward looking at this show. You can also hear one of the more peaceful sets in the era. With all that having been said; it seems like Jerry is a little impatient at this show, and while he improvises at the beginning of songs like never before really; he is a little too quick to start a song and not caring enough about the progressions from song to song.

At 11:00 this morning, we went from China Cat into I Know You Rider. Suffice it to say that there will be very little serious work for coming out of this office the rest of the day.

Just about as good as I can remember it getting.

Well the name of the jam between china>rider isnt the Mind Left Body Jam, but has been called the Mud Love Buddy Jam, like on dicks picks 12..... but i think thats only because of some dispute with a record label or somthing like that

china/rider..all i have to say..im new how do i download this show so i can put it on a cd

Dead in top early 70's form. It's funny, the "Playin'" jam with Keith's electric piano recalls an unlikely similarity to Miles Davis's work from '69-'74---it's like the white hippy version of "Bitches Brew". Try it! Had to get that out.

I have to give this show 5 stars for recording quality. When you compare it to other shows in 74, giving it 4 stars is being generous but 3 stars would be far too harsh. Freedom Hall and Seland Auditorium are far more inspired shows.

None the less, it is a solid 74 show, which was a great year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_of_Sound_%28Grateful_Dead%29

74 rocked for a reason

Augustus Owsley Stanley III

must of been the roses... one of my fav. tunes. but not this one thanks to donna.

I wouldn't normally listen to the drums, but an earlier review prompted me to do so. Incredible. Billy keeps a crazy uptempo beat on Brown Eyed Women - really interesting version of the song. I think part of the reason this night is so good for the rythm is because the drums are up there in this mix.

Great show overall, too. I mean, look at the setlist, and think of 74 as a year in general. Absolutely incredible.

For some reason, some '74 shows have the Kavorka that can really spook ya when you get inside. This is the kind a stuff that makes the Dead beyond that hole R&R genre. I originally gave it a four and a half but couldn't round down.

Dark Star>Morning Dew is amazing...Probably one of my top five Dark Stars. Epic and exploratory.
The Weather Report and China>Rider are also exemplary.
Good sound quality too. Anyone wanna hook me up with a B&P?

Tremendous 1974 Dark Star!

My #1.
The purest expression of the human experience ever uttered. Souls connecting directly to souls, transcending the medium, nullifying any consideration of time and space.
Time travellers view from their invisible seats, returning to experience this one moment in time.
This is what it was all about, folks.
A blend of emotion and psychic energy so unique it defies any logical description, and thwarts any attempt at explanation.
This was the Grateful Dead.

That's what this set is about. Taken as a whole, it has mystic qualities. The lyrics and music, together the voice of an undefined tribe, choices and emotions. Thank you, Grateful Dead, for allowing the sounds from this peaceful Sunday night in 1974 to reach my ears. You had achieved 'moments of blinding brilliance' strung end on end. Listening to this set, I always end up thinking of my friend Bill. Thanks for that, too.

this would be my drug of choice. The set list is perfect. Billy Kreutzmann's performance is jaw dropping - fluid, expressive, and jazzy as hell (that pretty much sums up the Dead's year in '74). The China/Rider from this show is without peer. This one takes you soaring like no other and should be enshrined as the China/Rider for all time. Okay, maybe that's a bit much, but damn, it still blows me away every time I hear it. Did they know they just totally nailed it that night? Dark to Dew is almost too much of a good thing. This is a show for the ages. Get it and spend lots of time with it. You will anyway.

Let me tell you about my experience with this show. Back in the mid-1980's I got my hands on a sdbd cassette copy of this show. I carried it with me everywhere I went and played it all the time. Through the years it wore down and I lost the tape. This entire show is not only magical but IMHO has some sort of Divine intervention. This recording is crystal clear and it's mind boggling to imagine how human beings can make music like this. Since I've gotten my hands on this soundboard copy I've listened to it A LOT. The Morning Dew is the best ever!!! (Augusta MN. 1984 is a close 2nd). When I catch a buzz and turn off the lights, light a candle, and listen to this Dew, it's beyond description. Many times I've had an out of body experience where (during the Dew) my spirit and soul is litterally transported back to 1974 and I'm in the Winterland Arena. I can feel the energy and feel what the band (esp. Jerry) is experiencing at that moment in time. I've tried this with other shows and songs but never had the powerful transformation in time like this Morning Dew. This is all without LSD. The last jam in AM Dew I can feel A presence guiding Jerry, that jam is not only the band but SOMETHING else too. The end of the show is soooooo sweet. The end of Not Fade Bobby is litterally shredding his vocal chords, Not Fade AWAAAAAAAAAAAY. The best and sweetest Baby Blue ever!!! Make sure that when you listen to the Dew you have it turned up loud. Jerry and the band bring this to a whisper and he fizzles the notes away. If anyone knows of other shows out there that they have had this type of experience please email me and let me know: scottlacey2000@msn.com

The UJB transition in China Rider is awesome!

The rest of the show is soooo good. Great setlist with an amazing Dark Star right into Dew.

Someone put down China>Rider, but from what I've heard thus far (2/3 thru China Cat) it's one of the most mellow renditions I've heard, totally digging it.

The introduction by Bill Graham is great, "Whatever's going on in the world, wars or kidnappings, this is a peaceful Sunday night with the Grateful Dead"

this run at the winterland is probubly better than the oct group, the sound is rich and full, with 73 not to far off in the distance,years blend into each other, even if you can define a distinct sound of 74, that wouldn't be fully developed until about May, leaving the earlyer stuff on the cusp with a uniqueness to it. Darkstar Dew just one of many greats.
happy to share with a responsible fans, email me @ fieldhouse11277@hotmail.com

...that this is indeed a great show...but I've always felt this run was just a smidgen overrated. I don't think any of these, good as they are, hold up to the monsters of mid to late June. This one (2/24) would make my Top 10 of '74 but not my Top 5. Nice sounding recording, though.

Best AM Dew ever. Smoking set lists, and performance.

There is Spanish Jam (only about 1 minute) near the end of Dark Star. Great sound quality. Download this puppy.

Wait until the wee hours when everyone else is asleep and dreaming, turn the lights off, put on your headphones, and follow the second Dark Star to the right, then straight on till morning.

I'll probably get roasted for this review and I usually don't bother posting uncomplementary reviews as each can decide for themselves. This is a show that you just want to be good, but to be fair I would say that it is more laid back almost to the point of being uninspired. The set list is absolutely amazing. Long and full of all the hits. Perhaps I just need to listen to it in a more relaxed mood. Let me say that the Cow Palace show the next night was my first Dick's Picks and it's never been one of my favorites either. The sound quality is good but it's definitely a quieter and more contemplative show. The many moods of the Grateful Dead...

So let me say this with out getting one up set been a fan for the past 10 years and last night eas the first time to see the GD movie. I know, I know its hard to believe but when I saw it just made me mad for some good 74 winterland and let me tell ya my fellow friends I found it with this show it is just a mind blowin ,Fanfuckintastic show pardin my french but this show just leaks crazy of of fine grateful dead music and the sound is just right on .74 what a year for the gratest band in the world.

This show is the real deal and china rider just sings from up high. I saw the GD movie on public tv for the umpteenth time last night and it got me nostalgic for a hot Winterland '74. This is a hornet's nest of sizzling energy to be listened to NOW.

They could have shut it down at the end of the glorius Dew but have plenty of fire left and bang out a cranking Sugar Mag and supreme NFA>GTRFB>NFA - This is the one you take to the afterlife.

Wow! I can not believe no one has really said how f-ing amazing this segue (UJB-like jam) from China>Rider is! Of all the UJB-like segues from China>Rider from late 1973-1974, this is my favorite, with 5-26-73's premature version as runner up. 5-26-73 was such a unique jam...all heads should check it out if you haven't already. Anyway this one is just a roller coaster....Jerry nails it!!!!!!! The rest of the show is cookin'. Playin' is out of this world! Dark Star>Dew is spectacular! This is the best sound quality for any 1974 show on this archive! Get it!!!

Damn I forgot...check out Jerry's brilliance on Jack Straw. This is in my top 5 Jack Straws...his licks are so f-ing smooth!

OK, now on the topic of the beautiful UJB-like segue jam from Chin>Rider. I can not believe so many people do not know about this jam...and also how many people think it is Mind Left Body jam. It is not MLB jam. MLB jam is completely unrelated to this segue jam. If you want a MLB jam, listen to 10/17/74 - Spanish Jam > MLB jam.

The UJB-like segue from China>Rider made its debut in a spring 1973 show (5/26/73 is really cool)...and survived through the 5 night Winterland run in 10/74. Although it is in a totally different key than UJB, it has that sort of groove to it. IMO, the best ever UJB-like segue jam is this 2/24/74 Winterland! Damn! Jerry's tone is just crystal clear and in your face...he really nails it with a special touch this night! The one on the bonus disc from the movie does not touch 2/24/74.

The only thing that's memorable to me is the transition between "Dark Star" and "Morning Dew," the most stellar ever. And they've done this paring a few times. As to the best year for "Morning Dew," it would be 1973, followed by '77. '74 is the best all around year, however.

A great rocking Bertha, a virtuoso Jerry performance on El Paso and Cumberland Blues (one of the best CBs, actually), a Playin'in the Band that goes to some fascinating places. The Weather Report Suites of November '73 are better, but Jerry heats it up towards the end, resolving into a nice Row Jimmy and a perfect Ship of Fools. A sweet Morning Dew that slowly builds to a climax not once, but twice. (The 6-18-74 Dew is also great. The best Dews are in 1974.) After that, the rest of the gig is non-stop high energy. The joint was jumping that night.

10/18 was always my favorite Dark Star>Morning Dew from '74 but this one is right there with it. A must show from a stellar year.

I used to have a hissy tape of this, which I've long since destroyed accidently but I treasured it. It was one of my favorite shows despite the fact I only had the second set. Of all the Dark Star>Morning Dews I've heard, this one is second only to 9/21/72. This is one of the better Dews out there, along with 8/6/71 and 2/24/68. Definitely worth getting. BTW, around the 24-minute mark in Dark Star, I hear quite pronounced Spanish Jam teases from Bob. I'm surprised that nobody else, not even Deadlists, has pointed that out.

This is a great show, one of the best of the year, and better than any of the closing 5 at Winterland, IMO.

It also fits easily on 3 CD's; put Promised Land at the beginning of "disc 4" (now disc 3), and the rest of "disc 3" at the end of disc 2. Does anyone still burn 74 min CD's??

I saw my first show in Philadelphia in the Summer of 1973, just before Watkins Glen. These tapes, of this show, capture the full dynamic of Jerry's playing better than anything I can recall in that last 30 years or so. For what it's worth, and because no one else has mentioned it, this has by far the most incredible version of Promised Land I have EVER heard.

I don't think this show overall is as good as the reviewers say below. However, this Dark Star>Morning Dew is one of the top 5 moments in GD history. The rest of the show is excellent, but the DS>Dew makes this show. One of the best Dark Stars I have ever heard in my life. Also listen to Jerry's last solo in Morning Dew. It is like his fingers are melting the guitar. UNREAL!

1974 rules!!!!!!!!

This is a must have! a SERIOUS must have! the power of Jerry commands you, Bobby's vocals are sublime and Donna manages to keep reasonably silent through out the proceedings! whew! This is a show that takes you somewhere and calls off the search... get it now.

This recording is EXCELLENT. I've had this show on tape for years and Set 2 is all you really need.........except for the China>Rider and Playin'.
The Dark Star>Dew is epic and clocks in at about 45 minutes. It takes a full 19 minutes until Jerry finds the 1st verse and then after a serious meltdown it's time for your "mind to leave your body". Indeed Billy is driving this entire jam and might be his best ever performance. I'd rank this in my top 5 Dark Star's ever.
I also really like the rare Baby Blue encore. A great 2cd package!

I went to GDLive and downloaded each song individually but had a problem with d4t1. Fortunately d4t1 is Dark Star which is available here. Also, combine discs 2 and 3 to make a 3cd set instead of 4.

The band is in top form. WRS is blistering and on time. What a great driver Billy K. was.

Wonder if they all sounded like this? Thanks to forward thinking and hard work, we have these, today 30 years later, with this quality and fans getting their fill. Outside of the masters, what else could you ask for?

Don't take my word for it, listen and/or download for yourself.

The entire show with the same lineage is available at gdlive.com: http://www.gdlive.com/shn/gd74-02-24.shnf/

Oh my God-where's the rest of the show? Surely someone has the SBD in SHN, I've had one for years. Look on GD Live?? Just a monster show, 4 CD's worth. Jerry is on home base in SF and batting 100. He starts both sets with US Blues and Cumberland (which blazes BTW)and that should tell us something. Great versions of many favorite songs like Candyman, Loser and BE Women. And the second time for Roses! Let it Grow growls, leaps and sails. Now take a break, get ready for Set 2. Are you sitting down? The Dark Star>Morning Dew combo is always a show stopper (see 1972 and also 9/10/74) - this one is my favorite of all and the next best 74 Star after 5/14. And just when NFA is still ringing in your ears, they pull out Baby Blue!! Not since 9/26/72. Should have been a Dick's Picks. The 2 other nights are worth getting, but this outshines them both. One of the last great Dark Stars of the 1970's. Heartily recommended.
Dr. Flashback ;-)

Great show, highly recommend this set, but I wish the rest of it was here in SBD. I have seen it around.